Kelley Cooper McClure
Kelley McClure has a significant presence in Austin’s visual arts world. Make no mistake about it, when she welcomed me into her bright and beautifully decorated Tarrytown home, I knew that I was around someone who has a deep and abiding love for imaginative artwork. Before we started talking, she took me on a tour of her home and at every turn, I was more and more impressed with the paintings on display.
Kelley’s an Austin native, through and through – she grew up on Bonnie Road, and went to Pease, O. Henry, and Austin High. Like a lot of Austin natives, Kelley has a desire to give back to our community and she was inspired by her parents’ generous nature. The world of art has also been a source of inspiration for her. She says that she has always loved visual art and the immense variety of paintings and sculptures the artists of the world create. “I knew that I would never be an artist myself – I’m a numbers person—and my father told me that as well.” Accordingly, after graduating from Texas Tech, she went to UT Austin and earned an MBA. The knowledge that she gained from earning that advanced degree has served her well in business and her nonprofit board service.
For many years while she was working, she did things like being on the Kappa House board and working with Women’s Art Guilds. But when Kelley retired 15 years ago, she was able to devote more time to work with local nonprofits that she loves. The organizations she works with are interesting to her because they expose her to art at many levels.
One of the most exciting times in her volunteer life was being on the Arthouse board when they were merging with The Austin Museum of Art to become The Contemporary. After the union between the two entities was achieved, Kelley served on the merged board. She is especially happy with Sharon Maidenberg, The Contemporary’s executive director, who came on board in 2020. “She is promoting family-oriented activities, which broaden the institution’s appeal.” As an example, she mentioned The Very Rary, which happened a few weeks ago – an afternoon of artmaking, performance and food at Laguna Gloria. Proceeds benefitted The Contemporary Austin’s K-12 arts education programs. The event was a success and it provided insight about what the space has to offer to many families. She added that The Contemporary is having many more family events now.
Kelley is on The Contemporary’s facilities committee and she is thrilled with the way the sculpture garden to the west of The Driscoll Villa is looking. In years past, that wooded area had become overgrown—now it has been trimmed back and it provides a perfect backdrop for the whimsical sculptures which are carefully positioned along the area’s winding trails.
She is especially enthusiastic right now about Friends of Laguna Gloria, which is a donor group that will provide funds for managing the grounds and shoreline, restoring and caring for the native plants on the property, maintaining and providing service to their structures, and having a team of facilities and visitor engagement staff on hand to ensure the safety and comfort of guests.
Women and Their Work is another group that demands a lot of Kelley’s attention. At this time, she is president of their board of directors and she is so impressed with what they do with just four employees. After WATW lost their lease on the space on Lavaca at 18th Street, in 2020, they bought their current facility on East Cesar Chavez and Navasota. She says that they were very lucky to find someplace so centrally located. “If we had kept renting, we would have only been at the mercy of landlords who could decide to sell when our lease was up.” WATW has a show every seven weeks, and they provide many educational opportunities. They are also well known for their fall Red Dot fundraiser. There is the gallery, which used to be a grocery store; the house behind it; and a side yard, making for a nice combination of spaces. Last year during SXSW, they were able to rent the building three times and brought in an additional amount of income. A big piece of news for WATW is the historical designation that the building received, which will mean greater permanence for the institution.
But wait, there’s more! Kelley is also on the board of directors of Preservation Austin. That important group produces an annual homes tour and preservation merit awards, among other programs geared towards enhancing Austin’s history and conserving memories of our town. They recently acquired the iconic art deco McFarland House at 38th and Red River. Kelley is the finance chair and Perry Lorenz is the treasurer. They are working to help raise money for the McFarland House. She is hoping that they generate more funds than their goal, so they can retire the mortgage. It’s the same deal as WATW -- they had been renting for years and now they have a permanent place. One thing of note -- they have converted the garage and one of the bedrooms into offices that they will rent out. The goal is for those rentals to equal the mortgage payment each month. But Kelley would like to see them pay off their mortgage. “Debt is a crippler for nonprofits,” she says.
Speaking about the arts ecosystem in Austin, Kelley says that she wishes people would just pick out one group and donate something to them on a regular basis in terms of time or money. One idea she offers is to just bring a sack lunch to work a couple of days a month and donate the money saved. “The individual amounts might seem small, but it all adds up!”
Comments about Kelley Cooper McClure
Kelley has a warm and welcoming way of making people feel like they’ve known her all their lives. She is a terrific life-long resident of our city to be ambassador for us wherever she goes. She’s a great example, since I’ve known her for decades, of my theory that people don’t change. They just become more of who they really are.
Lance Avery Morgan, Editor-In-Chief and Creative Director, Society Texas
Kelley Cooper McClure is a real treasure for The Contemporary and for Austin. Simply said, she is a smart, hardworking, no-nonsense community member who deeply cares about the place she lives. She exudes generosity, a strong moral compass and a real commitment to the projects she takes on.
sharon maidenberg, Executive Director, The Contemporary Austin
“If only there were more Kelley Cooper McClures in Austin; how much more vibrant this city would be! She devotes endless energy and good cheer to help non-profit after non-profit not only succeed but flourish.”
Dr. Chris Cowden, Executive Director, Women and Their Work Gallery
